Malloy Calls For Summit With Metro-North Over Norwalk Bridge Breakdown

NORWALK — Gov. Dannel P. Malloy Friday called for a crisis summit with officials from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Metro-North Railroad in the coming days following a second breakdown of the 118-year-old moveable rail bridge over the Norwalk River.

The latest breakdown was reported by Metro-North Friday afternoon, temporarily halting service on the New Haven Line, officials said. Limited service was not returned for several hours, causing delays for passengers.

MTA, which runs Metro-North, sent buses to Norwalk to transport some passengers from the stops on either side of the bridge — South Norwalk and East Norwalk.

A spokeswoman for Amtrak said that eight to 10 Amtrak trains also were affected by the bridge breakdown.

This was the second time the bridge, known as the Walk Bridge, has had problems in the past several weeks. On May 29, the bridge failed to close and wasn't fixed for five and a half hours, causing significant delays in the morning rush hour commute.

"This is now the second major failure in two weeks, leaving thousands of passengers stranded and causing unacceptable delays," Malloy said in a statement. "Let me be clear, this is outrageous."

Malloy plans to discuss the two incidents involving the Walk Bridge and the underlying problems during the summit. He said "every procedure, protocol and engineering solution must get the immediate attention of the most qualified team of experts," so that Metro-North can ensure reliable service for the state's commuters.

The recent failures "punctuate the absolute necessity for replacing this 118-year-old bridge — a central link to the entire Northeast Corridor," Malloy said.

He said the state cannot afford disruptions during peak hours.

His office said the state has applied for $600 million in federal transportation funding, $349 million of which would cover three-quarters of the cost of replacing the Walk Bridge.

State Department of Transportation spokesman Kevin Nursick said that the bridge is scheduled to be replaced in 2018. Design work is underway and is planned to be completed by 2017, he said. Construction on the bridge would start the next year and run until 2024.

Malloy's office said this would increase reliability and safety for commuters on the New Haven line.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who along with other members of the state's congressional delegation has been critical of Metro-North, said more needs to be done, and soon.

"These two catastrophic failures at the Walk Bridge clearly demand action. I will be fighting for necessary funds from federal agencies to correct these chronic problems," Blumenthal said in statement. "I will work with the full delegation to ensure Connecticut's transportation infrastructure receives the immediate attention and funding it needs and deserves. Remedies are required right away."

Blumenthal said that he has also been in contact with members of New York's congressional delegation from the metropolitan area to discuss Metro-North's problems.